The out of court settlement signed on Friday by lawyers representing Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) Chief Administrator Freddy Mwiya and Minister of Sport Agnes Tjongarero will remain in force until 09 August 2022, High Court Judge Cobus Muller ruled on Monday.

On Friday, Mwiya and the sports ministry signed an agreement that stipulates that the former will remain in his position as chief administrator until the court dispute is settled.

The dispute arose after Tjongarero refused to extend Mwiya’s contract and instructed the NSC board to advertise the position, a request Mwiya disputes.

The agreement signed on Friday, which was made a court order on Monday, stipulates that Mwiya will remain in his position as chief administrator until the court dispute is settled. It further stipulates that Mwiya must accept the salary commensurate with first tier state-owned enterprises.

Tjongarero had requested that the board advertise Mwiya’s position to allow interested Namibians to apply for this position, a directive it failed to heed.

Instead, the board extended Mwiya’s contract by a further five years, a development which led to the minister dismissing them on 24 May for insubordination and ignoring directives from the appointing authority, as well as a directive from the office of the attorney general.

Mwiya’s original term of employment ended on 31 March 2022 and he is currently on a monthly acting capacity until a substantive chief administrator is employed, or the court provides its ruling on the issue.

Speaking to the media outside the court, Mwiya confirmed that the court order was issued on Monday to the two parties and that the interdict will remain in force.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency